Bryony Gordon

When Bryony Gordon – a mental health champion who talks openly about alcoholism, addiction and running in her underwear - joined the Mail as a columnist in June, many were surprised. By her own admission, Bryony was an unlikely fit.

Yet to her critics she said: ‘Damn right I’m taking up the opportunity to sprinkle my mental health magic over the biggest newspaper in Britain.’

And sprinkle her magic she has.

In her column in our newly-launched Secrets & Lives section, Bryony brings characteristic candour, intelligence and humour as she tackles topics from male violence following the Southport attacks and the struggles of parenting an 11-year-old, to her ‘sleep divorce’ and living with OCD.

Bryony says what feels unsayable – and so lets readers know they are not alone. Every word rings with passion and empathy, shot through with her trademark mix of vulnerability and inspiring strength. ‘In a world where people filter everything, from their photographs to their thoughts, I like to tell the truth.’

Bryony embodies the Mail’s proud belief that columnists must be able to speak their own minds. One September column led to a front-page blurb many believed was impossible: ‘Kind, funny and pretty damn normal... as he turns 40, REAL truth about my friend Prince Harry’.

Indeed, if a columnist’s duty is to bring original thought that provokes debate and changes readers’ perceptions, Bryony does this in spades.

Her column on how lily-livered language around problem drinking is counter-productive for those who require help (Just because you do pilates in Sweaty Betty doesn’t mean you’re not an alcoholic, June 28) saw her holding a mirror up to the behaviour of many readers, while sharing her own experience as a recovering alcoholic.

Her determination to call out harmful attitudes was clear in her column on the abuse of Zara McDermott during Strictly (I learned the hard way why women like Zara put up with toxic men, July 19).

After Zara revealed her fear of victim-shaming, Bryony shared her own experience of the unhelpful assumptions women face when in abusive relationships, and how it encourages self-gaslighting. She offered a powerful answer to the question: ‘Why did you stay?’ providing a voice for victims.

In the wake of Liam Payne’s death, Bryony cut through salacious headlines and character criticisms to offer a different point of view (Don't be so quick to judge Liam. Addicts are only ever one drink from disaster - whoever we are, October 30). But her aptitude for solemnity is matched by her wit and willingness to poke fun at herself (I'm in a 'mixed-weight' relationship, and that didn't stop my husband ravishing me last night, July 5).

No wonder she’s inspired scores of subscriptions and readers’ letters, as well as wowing with her Mail podcast The Life of Bryony. In her launch piece, Bryony promised to take readers by the hand. It is a testament to her skill as a writer and engaging presence as a human that they have grasped it so willingly.